Bathroom tile ideas: wall, shower, and floor designs. Trends inspiration for 2024

ByIsabel July 27, 2023

If you are in the process of a bathroom remodel, you may have already realized that one of the most important elements is bathroom tile designs, as ceramic tiles cannot be changed as easily as vanities, decorations ideas, organizers or faucets.

That’s why it’s essential to find the perfect bathroom tile combinations and patterns, according to your personal style, trends, and, of course, the available space and lighting in the area.

In this article, our intention is not to inform you about the different options in the market or the best bathroom tile, but to update you on the trendy tile for bathroom this 2024. Showcase timeless designs that won’t go out of fashion, provide various tile combinations, and, above all, offer bathroom tile ideas inspiration with a lot of tile pictures.

Table of contents

Bathroom tile designs and combinations

Surely, you have already decided whether you want porcelain stoneware, rustic, fired clay, terracotta, marble, natural stone, ceramics, glass, or stone or wood imitation tiles in your bathroom flooring and walls. Whether it’s for their aesthetics, durability, prices, or technical characteristics.

The challenging part now is deciding what tile combinations to use: a single color, multiple colors and materials, different shower tiles, large format tile vertically or horizontally, neutral or colorful tones, small mosaic tile… the options are endless, both for wall tiles (bathroom tiling) and floor tiles.

That’s why we want to shed some light on your life with various tile options and bathroom tile ideas, all of which are trendy or timeless classics that will never go out of style, regardless of whether they are applied in modern, antique, small, large, or under-stair powder rooms.

Colorful bathroom tile

Gone are the days of white bathrooms tile. Until not long ago, the trend was for entirely white bathrooms, conveying cleanliness, purity, and brightness… but it’s not necessary to make everything completely white, from tiles to the floor and bathroom furniture.

Currently, there are two bathroom tile trends: going all-in with one color or using colors only in specific areas.

Pink bathroom

Pink tile bathroom is especially trendy. It’s a trend of the aesthetic home decor, but it has carved out a place from Nordic to vintage or eclectic styles.

Blue bathroom

Blue-tiled bathrooms are also on the rise. In this case, however, the choice is not to tile everything in the same color but rather just one of the walls, usually the tiles in the shower or those in front of the sink.

If you also use this color in other bathroom decor details, such as towels, flowers, or handles, it will achieve a more harmonious look. A blue bathroom tile conveys peace, tranquility, freshness, and cleanliness, without sacrificing brightness.

Yellow and green bathroom

Other trendy bathroom tile color include green and yellow, in pastel shades, but also in darker tones. However, we recommend them if you have a bathroom with sufficient natural light.

These colors blend well in vintage decorations when we want to highlight a particular element. Avoid using them in small bathrooms as they may reduce the brightness of the space. However, if you are fortunate enough to have a large and luxurious bathroom, go for it and take the risk!

Dark gray or black tile bathroom

Do you think darker colors can be used in bathrooms designs? The answer is yes. However, just like with yellow and green, it’s better to use them in highlighted areas, such as shower tiles or bathtub.

Black and dark gray, though it may not seem so, are very commonly used for this purpose nowadays, especially when combined with white stones like marble. Red, blue, and dark green tile are also popular choices.

Once again, we recommend avoiding them in tile combinations for small bathrooms or those with limited lighting. However, if you like these colors and want to “avoid” losing brightness, an option is to go for glazed or glossy tiles, as they reflect light and counteract their dark color.

Alternatively, you can add extra indirect lighting on ceilings, mirrors, vanities, baseboards, and floors.

Lastly, not all bathroom ceramic tile need to be in full color. Color can also be subtly applied in terrazzo tiles, for example, or simply in tiles with patterns.

This works perfectly in a modern bathroom, nordic scandinavian style, minimalist, contemporary and aesthetic home design.

Tile baseboards

However, in small bathrooms, applying color in this way can be challenging. The trend of using tile baseboards in bathroom has made a comeback in recent times; it was fashionable in the early 20th century.

Creating a baseboard with bathroom tiles not only allows adding color and freshness to the bathroom design without sacrificing brightness but also enhances its apparent size. The ceilings will appear taller, and the space will be enlarged. This is one of the best bathroom wall tile ideas.

You can apply the baseboard trend in your home without undergoing a bathroom remodeling or major construction, giving your bath a fresh makeover. To achieve this, use bathroom tile paint or apply adhesive vinyl in the area you want to change the color, leaving the rest of the tiles in white.

If you are starting with a new bathroom layout, you can use the colored tiles only for the baseboard and choose a different type of tile for the rest of the wall, or opt for wallpaper or simply leave the wall plain.

Alternatively, you can do the opposite, with the white tile on the bathroom baseboards and color paint on the upper part.

Combinations of tiles with different colors and materials

In addition to introducing colors, among bathroom tile ideas, there must be those that combine different materials, patterns, and colors. You will achieve original and unique bathrooms!

The ways to combine them are almost endless. Different baseboard from the wall, different shower tiles, a different floor… The current trend is to create designs with a lot of contrast between one material (or pieces) and another, whether it’s in their color, arrangement of the pieces, size, or pattern.

If you are not fond of strong color contrasts between floor and wall tile color, opt for coverings with similar tones or within the same color range, and apply contrast in the shape and arrangement of the bathroom tiles, mixing different sizes and orientations.

But remember, it is not advisable to use large tiles in a small bathroom, nor very dark colors.

For example, subway tiles with hexagonal tiles, or vertical tiling with horizontal bathroom tiling…

Use small tile pieces or glass tile

In recent years, large bathroom tiles have been in vogue, even huge ones. Not only in bathrooms but also throughout the house. Until now, we avoided joints and opted for large-sized pieces, which were more expensive and complicated to install.

However, the aesthetic style has brought back small tiles in their various designs and shapes. There are hexagonal tiles, square mosaics… but the vertical striated tiling is the one that truly prevails.

A very elegant way to add texture, personality, and dynamism to bathroom decor, especially in those minimalist bathrooms with few ornaments and materials.

For many years, small square tiles (glass mosaic tile) has been mainly associated with swimming pools; however, nowadays, we see it less in pools and more inside homes.

Not only as bathroom cladding but also in the famous aesthetic-style tile tables designed by interior designer Ikon Kobenhavn, widely replicated in DIY crafts on Pinterest.

Vertical shower tile

Not only in small-sized tiles is the vertical pattern trending, but also in elongated pieces. In fact, it is very common when combining vertical metro tiles and even in Mediterranean-style terracotta tiles.

Vertical bathroom tiles accentuates the height of the space, giving the illusion of a higher ceiling and larger rooms. Vertical shower tiles are a trend, specially in small bathrooms.

If you’re thinking about a bathroom renovating, don’t hesitate to use vertical tiles. It doesn’t have to be a specific tile design; any tile from The Home Depot, Menards or Sears is suitable for the bathroom walls.

The ways of tiling in bathrooms are not strict, and everyone can do it according to their preference. Tiles can also be installed in herringbone patterns, brick bonds, rotated 45 degrees, creating borders…

Creates tile patterns

When tiles have different patterns, designs, or shapes other than rectangles and squares, you can create unique bathroom tile patterns with them that distinguish them from other bathrooms.

This way, a simple tile can become a work of art, like the black and white tile patterns or a patterned floor, giving rise to original and distinctive bathrooms, even when using basic materials and fixtures.

Different tile shapes: Hexagon, fish scale, diamond and more

In addition to opting for different patterns, there are other tile shapes for bathrooms. Hexagon tile and fish scale tile are especially trendy.

Among these unique tile shapes, we particularly like the fish scale tile, but only for use in strategic decorative areas like the shower or in front of the sink.

Are also trendy, the diamond shaped tiles and Moroccan tiles. They are perfect for a luxury bathroom style.

If you look for examples about the best tiles bathroom, probably you will find a lot of images with this kind of shape.

Combines tiles with marble and bathroom wallpaper

Using bathroom wallpaper and natural stones like marble tile is not something new in bathroom trends; it has been with us for a long time, and it will continue to be so.

These pieces are less budget-friendly and delicate to handle, although their aesthetic appearance is unbeatable. If you don’t want to invest a lot of money, consider placing the bathroom stone tile or the wallpaper in small areas, such as the front of the sink.

tile and wood flooring combination ideas

Mediterranean style terracotta tile

The Mediterranean style is present all over the world. It is common to see Mediterranean houses and bathrooms even in the homes of celebrities in Florida, California, or Australia. One of its most remarkable elements is the terracotta tiles.

These tiles are handcrafted and traditionally fired in ovens, usually in square or elongated shapes. They are distinctive for their irregular edges, a feature that gives them a lot of personality and aesthetics.

This type of handcrafted tile is also known as clay tile. They are often used as outdoor tiles in rustic and Mediterranean-style tiled patios, for both the floor, borders, roof, and walls.

As of today, you can buy these beautiful tiles for bathroom in a variety of colors, including pink, green, blue, and more. They are perfect for achieving an aesthetic bathroom look.

Moroccan tiles with mosaics

Moroccan tiles have also crossed borders all over the world. In this case, they come in the form of colorful Arab mosaics with intricate patterns.

To avoid overwhelming the bathroom, use these Arab tiles strategically in areas such as the front of the sink, the shower, or the bathtub. If you want an even more unique bathroom design, make use of leftover inexpensive floor tiles with striking designs and create your own Moroccan mosaic for the bathroom.

Terrazzo tile, it’s back!

Surely, the terrazzo flooring was present in your parents’ or grandparents’ house; it was trendy for many years and then fell out of favor. However, as fashion always comes back around, terrazzo tile is making a comeback too.

We have to admit that we aren’t huge fans of terrazzo tiles, whether on walls or floors.

However, some modern terrazzo designs, especially those in vibrant colors or combinations with other materials, can be really eye-catching, beautiful, and fun to use, especially in aesthetic and eclectic styles.

If you’ve been paying attention to the bathroom tile ideas images, you’ll notice that many of the trends we provide can be combined with each other. For example, vertical pink terracotta tiles, combinations of vertical tiles with terrazzo tiles, and many others.

The most important thing when building, renovating, or remodeling a bathroom is to do what you love and what represents you. Mix and have fun with it, take some trends and blend them with things you like, even if they may not be considered trending.

Ultimately, it’s about creating a space that reflects your personal style and makes you happy.

If you have any questions or need help with bathroom tile ideas, leave a comment below! Don’t forget to save your favorite bathroom pictures on Pinterest, so you don’t lose them.